Salute to Seniors: Gwen Sawyer (Greely HS)

What was your most memorable meet? Last Year’s State Meet. I was hoping to move up and never thought I could do as well as I did. I went in seeded third in the Shot and eighth in the Discus.  I came out of shot put with a second place finish and a personal record.  In discus, I got third with another personal record.  My entire family was there and it meant a lot to me that they were there to support me.  I came out of that meet with new goals that drove me to do well my senior year.

Out of all of your high school accomplishments, which stands out the most? 

I would have to say that breaking my forty foot mark in shot put at WMC’s this year and being awarded female field performer of the meet.   I thought I had made a ridiculous goal and I never thought I would get to that point in high school.  I was not having a great day and after winning discus, I really wanted to do well.  My coach and I had said that it could happen and that was what we had been training for.  When the shot came out of my hand, I knew it was going to be a nice mark.  The throw put me as the second girl in Greely history to throw over forty feet next to Becky O’Brien so I was very proud.

If you could do it all over again what would you change about your track career in high school?

While there are small things that I would change, I wish I had started Indoor sooner than senior year.  I had been a swimmer from a very young age and the swim team was a second family to me.  When I came to high school, swimming was never a question.   After a long battle with myself at the end of junior year, I decided I wanted to see if I could do both, swim team and indoor track.  I used my summer to research the possibility and found no reason why I would not be able to participate on both teams as long as the schedules did not conflict.  I went to my parents, then both my coaches and finally to our athletic director to see if it was possible and I got turned down until the winter schedules came out.  After taking both schedules and placing all the practices and meets on a large calendar, I went back to my athletic director and showed him that it could work.  It was a gusty decision and I knew I was putting a large challenge in front of myself.  Once I had the approval, I was determined to make it count.  Participating in Indoor was a different experience but I loved it as much as Outdoor.   I would not recommend participating in two sports at the same time, but I was happy I could be the first person in Greely history to do so.   Both the swim and track teams did very well and I managed to win the state title for shot put to start out two back to back state championship meets.

 
What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome? 

For me, as cliché as it may sound, my most difficult obstacle is myself. I am a pretty easy going person and finding a way to get pumped up to a point where I can channel all my energy into throwing a four kilogram ball was not easy.  Many of my fellow throwers have a state of mind or a trigger that they use so my coach and I tried many different techniques before finding something that worked.  While physical prep is extremely important, everyone has to be mentally ready as well and finding my mental technique helped me significantly.

What will you miss the most? 

My throwing family.  I got to work with a fantastic group of people during my time at Greely and I always appreciated their support.  I loved going to meets because I always knew I could see at least one of my friends that I hadn’t seen in a while.  Cheering them on to achieve their goals always went both ways and I can’t express how grateful I am for their support.

What advice you would give to younger athletes?

Find your event, set your goals and work hard until you achieve them. I wish I did sooner and going in to college, I have new goals just waiting to be set.  As a high school athlete, you may set yourself up too high.  Pick a bigger goal and then smaller ones that will help you get there.  When you achieve the smaller ones, they will give you the drive to keep going.   If you achieve your highest goal, pick a new one and keep going! There will always be new challenges and high school is the perfect place to start setting goals whether it’s in school or in sports.

What influence has your coach had with respect to your performance and overall life goals? 

I’m not even sure I know where to begin with this question.  Dennis O’Brien is one of the best coaches a person could ever hope for.   I went into track freshman year without expectations and I never knew how far I could go. In a coach, I wanted someone who could give pointers on throwing.  I got so much more.   My coach believed in me even when I was having an off day.  From sprint drills to long throwing practices, he always pushed me to work harder.  When I achieved my goals, he was always there with new ones.  He coached me through my best and worst days and was always willing to hear about both.  I was so grateful to have him as well as his daughter, Becky for support and guidance.  When I placed sixth in New England a few weeks ago, I was so happy he was there with me.  My coach has influenced my performance and life goals in the best way possible and I am so thankful for having him and Becky in my life.

What are your college plans? 

Next year I will live in Worcester, Massachusetts at Assumption College where I will be majoring in Political Science with a Pre-law focus.  I will also be throwing on their track and field team.  I look forward to throwing shot put and discus as well as throwing in some new events as well.

Who would you like to say thank you to? 

My family.  My parents and my older sister have always been my biggest supporters and I could never have gotten to where I am without them. My parents, Jud and Agnes, are two of the best people I know and even when they couldn’t make a meet, I always knew they are cheering me on from where ever they were. They have gotten me through so many experiences and I am who I am because of them.  My sister, Claire, is and always will be my sister and best friend.  I can always count on her to be there for me even if just for a pre-meet pump up speech.  Thank you guys for everything, words can’t express my love for you all!